The lecture hall smelled of fresh paint and old wood. Rahul was the first one through the door. He sat in the very first row, his second-hand textbooks laid out neatly. A small smile played on his lips. I made it, he thought. I'm really here. He knew he had to keep the trust Verma sir had placed in him. He vowed to study hard and do justice to the organization providing his scholarship. A flash of memories came to his mind , he missed his orphan brothers , he doesn't know who were his parents, all he knows is the orphanage , he grew up there, that is his home ,all in his mind is to study hard and get the best score and build successful career. Then help the orphanage as much as he can.He began to mentally organize a plan to balance his part-time job and his heavy studies.
Slowly, the room began to fill. The air hummed with the chatter of students from wealthy families, their clothes crisp and their voices loud. Rahul looked at them and wondered if one day he would be rich like them. They discussed luxury brands, fast cars, and the latest phones. He doesn't get jealous of them instead of that he thinks that it is an opportunity for him.
All of sudden, Rahul froze. A group of girls walked in, laughing.
Having grown up in an all-boys orphanage, Rahul's world had been devoid of female presence. He felt a wave of intense shyness and kept his eyes fixed on his desk, his heart thumping against his ribs. He dare not to lift his head. He silently prayed that no girl would choose the seat next to him.
"Is this seat taken?" a voice asked.
Rahul looked up. A girl stood there. She wasn't like the others who wore heavy makeup or expensive jewelry. Her hair was pulled back in a tight, practical ponytail, and she moved with a grace that suggested strength. This was Madhuri. On seeing her, Rahul froze for a second; she felt like an angel to him.
"No," Rahul managed to whisper, his voice cracking slightly. She sat down, her presence like a spark of electricity in the quiet room. Rahul's heart beats rapidly with a feeling he couldn't yet name.
The professor entered, but there were no lessons today. "Welcome to the Business class. We are a small group of thirty. Let us start with self-introductions."
One by one, students stood up. Some of them were rich heirs , some have the family background of engineers, doctors, corporate employees,and some hold positions in government. Every single one are proudly talking about their parents and the happy life they have and share their hobbies . When it was Rahul's turn, he stood tall. "I am Rahul. I am here on a scholarship, i am an orphan and I hope to learn how to build a future."
A snicker erupted from the back of the room. A tall, well-built student named Vicky leaned back in his chair. "A scholarship kid? Great, we're sharing a room with a charity case."
Rahul felt his face heat up, but before he could respond, Madhuri spoke up without even turning around. "At least he earned his way here. Some people are just lucky their fathers have deep pockets."
Vicky's face turned red. The room went silent. Rahul looked at Madhuri in shock. She didn't look at him; she just stared at the professor, her jaw set firm. He didn't know yet that she was the daughter of a high-ranking Army officer, trained in martial arts and even tougher than she looked.
Vicky felt humiliated, burning with jealousy. To him, Madhuri looked like a goddess, yet she had stood up for a "nobody" like Rahul. He immediately began plotting his revenge on Rahul and a way to humiliate Madhuri.
Vicky quickly gathered the information he wanted: Rahul worked in the college cafeteria and lived in the hostel . For him dealing with rahul is as easy as crushing an ant.
He also found that Madhuri lived in the hostel, but her family background remained a mystery. Madhuri and her father kept her profile private for security reasons; as a military man, he knew enemies might target his daughter for leverage.
Vicky, unaware of the danger, suspected she was simply the daughter of some wealthy rival. As the son of one of the richest men in the state, Vicky was used to his own profile being private. He decided to investigate her later—but for now, his target was Rahul. He quickly inform his bully gang to assemble on the way between the cafetaria and the boys hostel tonight and get ready to deal with rahul. They know that rahul will be alone after his shift at cafetaria and decide to take action.